IND vs PAK: How India and Pakistan fared in grand finale across formats

India and Pakistan will be facing each other in a tournament final for the first time since 2017

India and Pakistan are set to take on each other in a historic clash today at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium as it will be the first time in 41 years that these two teams will come face to face in the final of the Asia Cup. India will be eyeing their record-extending ninth Asia Cup title, while Pakistan will be looking to secure their third. However, despite tonight's match being unique, it definitely is not the first time these two teams have faced each other in a tournament final.

 

India and Pakistan have faced each other in five different multinational tournament finals before today, and it is the Pakistani side who holds the edge over the Men in Blue in the head-to-head record in title clashes, leading 3-2. Now, before the two sides take the field today to write yet another chapter in this glorified cricketing rivalry, let’s take a look at how all the India vs Pakistan finals across formats have panned out so far. 

 

World Championship of Cricket (1985)

The World Championship of Cricket, an ODI tournament staged in Australia from 17 February to 10 March 1985, was organized as part of the festivities marking 150 years of European settlement in Victoria. India played Pakistan twice in the tournament — in the group stage, India won by 6 wickets, before thrashing their arch-rivals Pakistan once again in the final by 8 wickets to win their first-ever tournament final against them.

Austral-Asia Cup (1986)

The Austral-Asia Cup was a multi-nation ODI cricket tournament staged in Sharjah, UAE, during the mid-1980s. Initiated by businessman Abdur Rahman Bukhathir, it featured teams like Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka before becoming defunct in the mid-1990s. In the inaugural edition of the tournament, India and Pakistan met in the final for the second time. In a tense game, Pakistan edged past India by 1 wicket to lift the trophy and level the head-to-head record in finals at 1-1.

Austral-Asia Cup (1994)

Pakistan won the second edition of the tournament as well after beating Australia in the final by 36 runs. The Men in Green then started their campaign in the third and eventually final edition of the tournament as two-time defending champions. Pakistan once again showed their dominance on UAE wickets as they first beat India in the group stage by 6 wickets before completing the double with a 39-run win in the final to finish as three-time and only-ever Austral-Asia Cup champions.

ICC T20 World Cup (2007)

It took 13 years and a new format of cricket for India and Pakistan to face each other in a tournament final, and this was also a historic moment as the winner would have earned the title of inaugural ICC World T20 champions. In the group stages, India beat Pakistan through a bowl-out before winning what has been one of the most intense cricketing tournament finals by 5 runs to win their first-ever ICC T20 World Cup while also leveling the final head-to-head record with Pakistan at 2-2.

ICC Champions Trophy (2017)

After almost a decade since the ICC World T20, India and Pakistan met once again in a tournament final — this time in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 in England. The sides had also met in the group stages where India won by a whopping 124 runs. However, Pakistan flipped the switch in the final and secured a massive 180-run victory to finally take their tournament final head-to-head record with India to 3-2, where it currently stands.